Campus News, Pages 4 - 5
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VOLUME 76 ISSUE 4
SERVING ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1949
Local & State News, Pages 6 - 7
A & E, Page 11
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN HIGH SCHOOL
Sports, Pages 19 - 23
April 2026 THE NEWSPAPER OF CRUSADER COUNTRY
Two students recognized as National Merit Scholarship Finalists By Ishaan Gupta ’26
Becoming a National Merit Scholarship Finalist is no small feat. Out of the millions of high scholars who take the PSAT, only 15,000 are chosen as finalists. At Riordan, the two students who accomplished this feat are Joshua Lee ’26 and Timothy Yuen ’26. Lee and Yuen started their preparation for the PSAT in the fall of 2024, and the process was filled with hard work and dedication. The initial journey was a challenge for Yuen, but through perseverance, he reached his goals. Yuen said, “I initially struggled immensely on math, but was able to improve by hundreds of points after reviewing carefully and learning from others.” He added, “I spent many mornings studying, going through practice tests and reviews. A piece of advice a previous National Merit finalist told me was that simulating real testing situations
Photo by Loghan Hwang ’27 Timothy Yuen ’26 and Joshua Lee ’26 were declared as National Merit Scholarship Finalists. Millions of students in the country take the PSAT and SAT, yet only 15,000 scholars are chosen for this prestigious honor every year.
like the time of day or having people around helps you prepare better. ” The process for them wasn’t exactly the most enjoyable to work through either. Lee said, “The process of getting the award isn’t the most amazing itself.” In regards to his work, he said,
“I spent a month studying on Khan Academy before the PSAT NMSQT test which jump started my qualification as a finalist.” Through the struggle and strife, the hard work for both of them did pay off through their merit. They have been able to reap the benefits of what they have sown through scholarships.
Yuen shared, “It feels very rewarding to be named a National Merit Finalist, as it recognizes the effort I took to achieve this.” Lee and Yuen are currently getting ready to set off on their college journeys and offered some important advice to those aiming toward achieving this goal. Lee said, “Think about why you really wanna become one. Is it for a financial reason? An academic goal? Whatever it is, make sure you understand the process to becoming one and what it could do for you.” The two will continue to make big strides in their journeys beyond as the two carry their friendship formed in high school, the opportunities granted from their merit, and the rewards of their hard work and perseverance. Vice Principal of Academics Nathaniel Simon ’99 said, “We know how great our school is and their effort is helping to let others from around the country see it too.”
Lack of parking spots results in driving dilemmas By Ashley Li ’27
With the busyness of buses and the stress of schedules, students driving themselves to school often makes their lives more convenient. It’s common that driving to school helps students manage their time more efficiently and arrive at school on time. “I drive to school because my parents leave early in the morning to work, so it’s easier for me to drive myself,” said Kaitlyn Juhl ’27. Recently, students and staff report that finding a place to park has become quite a challenge. Riordan is next to the City College of San Francisco parking lot, but Riordan students and staff recently became restricted from parking there. Because of this, members of the Riordan community need to find separate parking lots or street parking spaces as locations to park their cars before they can make their way to school. Students who drive to school
have said it is often difficult for them to find a parking space, usually taking them around 10 to 15 minutes to secure one. This setback means they need to arrive at school far earlier than normal in order to be on time. Yet sometimes, students are still tardy due to the limited parking availability. Head of Campus Safety Viggen Rassam ’87 commented, “Parking challenges affect both staff and students at our school, but they impact students particularly hard given how much parking has disappeared in recent years. Like many other schools in San Francisco and on the Peninsula, we’re dealing with limited land in a dense urban environment.” Although there is a parking lot at Riordan, teachers still face challenges when it comes to parking. “There are not enough parking spots for faculty and staff. I can’t take public transportation as I
Photo by Ashley Li ’27 Students at Riordan are not allowed to park in the CCSF parking lot located next to campus, resulting in them having to find different locations to park.
live on the Peninsula, and it is not convenient to get to public transportation,” said math instructor Carol Pineda. “I often park a mile away with my heavy backpack filled with papers and a lunch and walk or run to my first class.”
As more students become dependent on self-transportation, the new parking situation becomes more prominent, and the recent restriction of the CCSF parking lot has brought about major inconveniences to the Riordan community.